Universal joint and four-wheel drive.



J. L. YEDMAN. UNIVERSAL JOINT AND POUR WHEEL DRIVE.

APYLiOATIONPILBD 111:0. a, 1911.

Patented Sept. 17,1912.

2 SHEETS-SEBET 14 -nd mm wmvkssgs;

ATTORNEYS J. L. YEOMAN'.

UNIVERSAL JOINT AND FOUR WHEEL DRIVE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.5,1911.

1,038,7G6 1 Patented Sept. 17, 1912,

2 8KEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES.-

I/WE/VTGR J'a k 20.5. I, own/arm I JGHN L. YEOTMAN, F CHEH'ALIS, WASHING-TON.

. UNIVERSAL JOINT FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent. patentgd Sfipt 1'? 191% Application filed December 5, 1911. Serial No. 664,018.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JO N L. Yeoman, re siding at Ghehalis, in thec'ount-y of Lewis and State of Washington, have invented a new and Improved Universal Joint and Founwheel Drive, of which the following is a specification.

invention relates to improvements in that "class of motor vehicle drive gearing mechanisms in which the steering or front wheels are coupled with the driven shaft to turn in the same" direction with the said driven shaft and in such a manner that the steering operation of the front or steering wheels is not onlynot'interferedwith but the propulsion and steering} functions thereof are greatly facilitated.

. 'Mvinvention has for its purpose to provide a combined propulsion and steering 2'0.

gear mechanism of the neral character stated of a simple and economical'const-rucf tion, inwhich the parts are especially designed for a convenient and. quick assem hinge and for'beingreadily individually re- With placed when broken, and in which the action. of steering .is imparted to the motoridriven front wheels by justments. 1

hdout in the append'edclaims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1', i'sa top plan view of the chassis of an auto vehicle, andshowing'my inven tion as operatively applied, the gear connections being also shown and parts of the driving' gear casings bein shown in section. Fig. 2, is a front eleva ion, the gear casing {cover being removed and parts of the hub mechanism shown in section. Fig. 3, is a diagrammatic" plan view Qthat illustrates more fully the turning means. I Fig. 4:,is an enlarged vertical section of the improved hub construction. -Fig. 5, *isa horizontal section of the same on the line 5-5 on Fig.

'4. 6, is across section taken on the line-6 45 on Fig. Fig. 7, is a view,partly inelevationandpantly section illustrat ing a modified constructionhereinafter specifically referred to. Fig. 8, is a diagramimatic View that-shows theip in and slot connection infthe huh-"andi alsoshowsthc relathe usual 'steeringwheel adther' objects a view. as will be. hereinafter referred to, be specifically pointdrawings, by reference. to which it will be noticed the shaft it carries abevel gear 10 that meshes with a bevel pinion on the longitudinall extended coupling shaft 2, the front en of which carries'a bevel pinion 21 that meshes with and imparts motion to the front or steering shaft 3. In practice,

the shaft 2 has a universal joint 22 to compensate for the riding motion of the front or steering shaft wheels relatively to the rear shaft andvvheels, The steering shaft has long bearings on the oppositely extended portions of the front chassis 4 and the latter havehub-like portions 41 at the opposite ends through which the oppositeends'of the shaft 3 pass, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

. 55 designates the front or steering wheels which are mounted on and have a universal coupling connection with the opposits ends of the shaft3. The universal connections, the construction of which forms an essential feature of' my invention, and

are best shown by Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, each comprise a hub composed of an inner member 6- having an annular flange 61 and an internal thread 62, and an outer member 60 that has an annular flange 63 that opposes the flange 61, and in connection with the said flange 61 and the'hori zontal extension 61 thereof form the annu- 1' lar socket for receiving the wheel spokes 7 that; are made fast by thebolts 'Z1 that pass through the spokes and'the opposite flanges '61 and 63 and secured in any approved 'man-ner. The inner member 6 is also .pro-

:vided with an internally threaded portion 64, of smaller diameter" thanthe threaded portion 62, for receiving the nutbearing 65, threaded to screw into the sa d portion 64:

and provided with aconcaved seat 65 for engaging the ball 8, secured upon the end of the front shaft 3. A second bearing .member 81 cotiperates with the member 65 and it has a concaved se t 81 for engaging the ball 8, as is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, by reference to which it will be also noticed" the member 81 has a threaded hub for screwing into the hub member 6 and to allow for the required lateral or steering movement of the Wheel relatively tov the shaft 3, (see dotted lines, 'Fig. 3) the member 81 has a flared opening 81.

For locking the Wheel to. the shaft 3 to cause it to turn with the shaft the ball 8 has a. radial lug 83 that projects into a segfor the feed to the universal joint parts it holds the nut'bearing 61 for the ball from unscrewing.

In 'my cbnstruction of universal joint, means is also included for holding the front wheels in horizontal alinement with the front axle or shaft, or inother words for holding the wheels from sagging or moving vertically with respect to the shaft 3, and for such purpose each front wheel hub structure includes a ring 11 that rides in an annular groove 66 in the inner hub member 6 and is heldfrom pulling out of the said groove by the annular flange 82 on the bearing member 81, the latter serving as a lock washer, it having apertures for receiving a wrench for sc'qtwing it home when the parts are as-.' sembled for use. a v

The ring 11 is integral with a pair of flat extensions 1213 that extend-over and ride on the upper and lower faces of the hub-like portions 41 of'the front chassis 4, see Fig. 2. Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, it will be noticed that a link 16 is pivot-ally connected to each of the upper extensions 12 and to the opposite ends of across lever 17 which has a stud l7 centrally mounted in a hub bearing 18, and which carries a crank arm 19 that is integral with or fixedly connected to the stud 17 25 designates a link that connects the crank arm 19 with the steering post 26, a nd'the said connection, by reason of the angle position of the post being arranged as shown in detail, see Fig. 9, which shows a rod 27 projected from the inner end of the linkthat passes up through a slotted angleextension 28 :at the lower end of the steering post, a buffer spring 29 being mounted on the rod 27 for insuring the shifting movement of the link 25 as the vpost 26 is turned, see dotted lines Fig. 9.

'If desired the upper and lower faces of the hubs 41- of the chassis at may have roller bearings for the extensions 12 and 13,

Fig.7. I

From the foregoing description, taken in connection withthe drawings, the complete construction, the operation and the ad-van tages of my invention will be readily ap parent, without requiring a more extended explanation, it being, however, understood that minor details and variations of the parts described may be made without do having two internally threaded portions, a. ball en'ga'ging plug that threads lnto oneof, the internally threaded portionsof-the ner hub member, a ring loosely mounted oh the hub, a cap member threaded-into the other threaded portion of the said hub member, said cap having" a keeper portion for holding the ring onto the hub, said ring having a fiat member that extends over and engages a flat portion of the chassis,' and' means cooperatingwith the said member for turning the wheels on their pivots;

- 2. Ina motor vehicle, wheelsuniversally mounted on the front axle, said axlehavi'ng' ball ends, the hubs-of the front wheels each comprising an inner member havingutwo internally threaded portions, a ball engaging plug that threads into one of the internally threaded portions of the inner hub member,-

'a ring loosely mounted'on thehub, a cap member threaded into the other threaded portion of the said hubmember, said cap having a keeper portion for holding the ring onto the hub, said ring having a fiat member that extends over and engages a fiat portion of the chassis and means cooperating with the said flat member for turning the wheels on their pivots, an outer hubmember that opposes the inner hub member, and. a

and engages the outer hub member and covers the threaded plug that engages theball e'nd of'the axle.

3. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the front chassis, a front power driven.

axle rotatable thereon, a ball on the erd of the axle having a radial lug, a wheel having a hub consisting of two opposingmemb'ers each having fiangeszfor engaging the wheel spokes, one of the said members having an annular groove and twointernally threaded portions of different. diameters, said flange 'member also having a segmental groove and an aperture that communicates with the said groove, a cap plate adapted to'screw onto the outer end of the aforesaid hub member and adapted to clamp the, other hub mem ber against the spokes, the said other hub cap that threals onto the inner hub member m'mmber forming flc l d su r for the aprtur' thradable into the first named hub member, in t'hafirsi; named hub member,a plug hav- Said cap member forming a keeper to hold ii lgqa doncaved sealt for engaging one side .the ring to the hub.

0? "She ball in Gap p ate thatthreads into the fiji imeaded' h u'b PortiQn said hub p'drt'ion hav JOHN ingj an annularlgpoove movable'in the said; WVitnesses:

gmave, salol 'rjln'g having ,membe 's that 'ex- L. I{UEHNER,

'tflxdbverthe veh'icle chassis, a cap member J (B. SULLivAN, 

